Acta Polytechnica Hungarica
Vol. 12, No. 6, 2015
The Emergent Technological and Theoretical
Paradigms in Education: The Interrelations of
Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and
Internet of Things (IoT)
Mustafa Tuncay Sarıtaş
Balikesir University, Necatibey Faculty of Education, Department of Computer
Science and Instructional Technology, Soma cad., 10100, Balikesir, Turkey,
tsaritas@balikesir.edu.tr
Abstract: With the rapid development and increase in Internet speed in network technology,
communication and interaction with others, even with objects, as well as sharing and
creation of knowledge is supported and facilitated more effectively than ever before. The
characteristics of society are in an incessant change towards a more social, networked, and
connected one. The education sector is also in a constant state of evolution, naturally as a
result of emerging technologies and theories. Based on this fact, educational institutions,
inevitably, have to transform their existing frameworks to promote learning and teaching in
the 21st Century. This paper introduces background and fundamentals about emerging
technology paradigms – Cloud Computing (CC) and Internet of Things (IoT), and an
emerging learning theory – Connectivism. The relationships between these three are
investigated to provide insights and raise awareness on their rich potentials for and
impacts on learning experiences.
Keywords: Cloud computing; connectivism; Internet of Things; education; learning
1
Introduction
Dramatic developments in information technology, and more specifically, the
emergence of mobile devices (e.g., tablets and smart phones) and applications
have transformed the way people attain, use, and save the information.
Additionally, the vast expansion of wireless networks provides new opportunities
and infrastructures for individuals and institutions to be easily able to utilize new
IT resources more effectively and cost efficient. The amazing speed in the
expansion of Internet-based information has created a circumstance, in other
words, a challenge for organizations to have enough capacities and capabilities for
service-oriented computing. Including, virtual, dynamically-scalable, manageable
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The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
computing power, storage, platforms, and other services that can be delivered on
demand to external customers over the Internet [15].
In recent years, “Cloud Computing (CC)” has emerged as a practical and assuring
innovative solution to transforming traditional server infrastructure into a dynamic
environment “for enabling convenient, on- demand network access to a shared
pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage,
applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with
minimal management effort or service provider interaction” [37, p590]. The
concept of cloud computing has gained a significant amount of attention and has
been defined with different perspectives.
Johnson, et al. [21, p36] defines cloud computing as:
…expandable, on demand services and tools that are served to the
user via the Internet from specialized data centers and consume
almost no local processing or storage resources. Cloud computing
resources support collaboration, file storage, virtualization, and
access to computing cycles, and the number of available
applications that rely on cloud technologies.
According to Sultan and Sultan [25, p3], cloud computing is:
…a modality, that uses advances in ICTs such as virtualization and
grid computing for delivering a range of ICT services through
software, and virtual hardware (as opposed to physical)
provisioned (by data centres owned and operated by cloud
providers and/or end users) according to user demands and
requirements and delivered remotely through public (e.g., Internet),
private networks or a mix (i.e., hybrid) of the two delivery modes.
Using the main characteristics associated with the notion of cloud computing in
the literature, Vaquero, et al. [23, p51] sums its definitions up as below:
Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized
resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or
services). These resources can be dynamically reconfigured to
adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum
resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by
a payper-use model in which guarantees are offered by the
Infrastructure Provider.
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Vol. 12, No. 6, 2015
Figure 1
Cloud computing
The term “cloud” is used commonly as a metaphor of remote environments (e.g.,
Internet), which is illustrated with cloud-like images showing the complexity lying
under full of servers providing different services through Internet connection.
Understanding the cloud computing services could provide a better overview for
what this new paradigm is all about. In general, CC services are categorized in
three main types: Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),
and Platform as a Service (PaaS). Internet connection is the main requisite for
three services. SaaS provides services (i.e., any application resides in the cloud)
primarily for end-users who could access applications hosted in companies’
servers. IaaS (also called utility computing) provides services (e.g., virtual
machine instances, storage, and computation) generally for system administrators
who could obtain general processing, storage, database management, and other
applications through the network [30]. PaaS provides services (e.g., web hosting
and data hosting services) mostly for developers who could design, build, and test
applications within cloud infrastructure and then deliver those apps to end-users
from the servers [30]. Table 1, below provides additional descriptions for three
cloud services adopted from Sultan [24, p110].
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The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
Table 1
Cloud computing services
User Levels
End-users
(individuals,
students,
administrators,
staff, etc.)
Service Type
Software as a
Service (SaaS)
Ex. Google
Docs, YouTube,
Facebook,
twitter, flickr,
and virtually
every other Web
2.0 application
System
administrators,
researchers,
end-users
(individuals,
students,
administrators,
staff, etc.)
Developers
Infrastructure
as a Service
(IaaS)
Ex. Data
storage/ hosting
and archiving/
preservation
2
Platform as a
Service (PaaS)
Ex. Amazon’s
S3 and EC2
offerings
Description
Under this service, applications are delivered through
the medium of the Internet as a service. Instead of
installing and maintaining software, you simply
access it via the Internet, freeing yourself from
complex software and hardware management. This
type of cloud service offers a complete application
functionality that ranges from productivity (e.g.,
office-type) applications to programs such as those
for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or
enterprise-resource management.
Products offered via this mode include the remote
delivery (through the Internet) of a full computer
infrastructure (e.g., virtual computers, servers,
storage devices, etc.)
To understand this cloud-computing layer, one needs
to remember the traditional computing model where
each application managed locally required hardware,
an operating system, a database, middleware, Web
servers, and other software. One also needs to
remember the team of network, database, and system
management experts that are needed to keep
everything up and running. With cloud computing,
these services are now provided remotely by cloud
providers.
Cloud Computing in Education
With the spread of information and communication technology, a variety of new
learning situations have been proposed for learners, individually or in groups, who
have the opportunity for carrying out learning activities and experiences whenever
and wherever they want by switching from one learning scenario to another easily
and quickly [14]. Cloud computing is not just an innovative information and
communication technology that promises to bring various exciting services into
our daily life. It is already a reality and paradigm in terms of its implementations
in many sectors. The education sector is one of those in which cloud computing
has already attracted institutions, schools, educators, and researchers. Due to its
rich capability in delivering virtual computing environments of almost any scale,
cloud computing offers new tools that foster best computing practices for easy
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sharing and mobility which improves productivity and expands collaboration in
education. For instance, cloud computing provides engineering students with
versatile and ubiquitous access to software commonly used in the field from any
where, at any time [1].
The notion of providing computing-related services on the cloud (some free, some
on a pay-as-you-go basis) offers numerous advantages and opportunities for data
and software sharing, collaboration systems, and virtual learning environments.
The cloud concept has imperative implications in virtual communication,
collaboration, and learning contexts. This innovative communication and
collaboration medium enables virtual communities of educators, researchers and
practitioners to work in collaborative groups on the Internet with links to real time
data, therefore, promoting a metacognitive approach in educational problems and
practices via a dynamic research platform where data are dynamically stored,
dynamically navigated, dynamically visualized, and so others [28]. From this
perspective, CC has strong potential for fostering and facilitating social
interactivity and metacognitive activities. Within a learning community, CC
highly supports sharing of intellectual work, negotiation and co-creation of
meanings or knowledge, research, reflection, evaluation, and application of newly
constructed knowledge.
Stein, et al. [36, p241] addresses the educational benefits of Cloud computing for
pedagogical aims in the following areas:
•
Diversity of software applications: Cloud computing offers a costeffective way of circumventing such restrictions as reaching diverse
learning applications for school and student computers, and of providing
richer curricula to all school systems.
•
Software license cost savings: Schools can share software applications
legally and cost-effectively using the Cloud by purchasing a limited
number of “seat” licenses and managing the concurrent use of the
software.
•
Security: Security of data and transactions are concerns for every user of
networked computation. Cloud computing can be configured to meet the
Internet Protection Act compliance policies put in place by schools.
Cloud-based instructional software can be accessed and used securely by
making schools’ firewalls impervious to hackers.
•
Extending machine life: Significant cost savings can be realized through
Cloud computing by decreasing the replacement rate for student
computers. Student access to software is made more equitable across
socioeconomic differences since older, less powerful computers can
remotely operate advanced software.
•
Availability of broadband connectivity outside of school: Learning
environments based on CC can specifically be designed to provide access
to learning tools from anywhere at anytime.
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M. T. Sarıtaş
•
The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
Affordability of class time delivery: Face-to-face education employs strict
time periods during which software must be available with minimal
delay. Using CC platform, designed specifically for educational needs,
block allocations (i.e., access to specified software and student
registration for specific days and times) allow teachers to register their
students and make pre-loaded software remotely available in less than a
minute.
Cloud computing provides opportunities for teachers with quickly applicable
educational applications and services that enrich the learning process based on
individual performance data and learning style [1]. Teachers and students today
are inundated with many low-cost or free cloud-computing applications offering
SaaS that is accessible through diverse digital devices. Two of the most prevalent
and free CC applications being adopted by educators are Google Apps for
Education (including Gmail, Gdrive, Google Docs) and Microsoft’s cloud service
– Office 365 for Education (including Office, OneDrive, OneNote). Both of these
applications provide educational institutions, teachers and students with platforms,
which support dynamic learning experiences in and outside of the classroom,
provide access to centralized information stores, and increase reporting
consistency [1].
For instance, Lin, et al. [38], in their research study, proposed a cloud-based
reflective learning environment, which was designed by using Google applications
(Google Plus, Google Drive, and Google Site) as a set of teaching and learning
tools. They conducted an experiment (including tests, questionnaires, and
interviews) to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed environment on the
students’ ability to develop and strengthen their reflection and motivation.
According to the findings, students in the experimental group (i.e., those in the
proposed cloud-based learning environment) showed higher learning motivation
and reflection performance. The authors provided results that verified the cloudbased reflective learning environment supports instructors and students who
effectively administered and conducted reflective learning activities during and
after actual class sessions.
Sometimes, institutions choose a way of creating or joining a consortium where
they define their position as a leader of innovation and progress in a certain field.
The cloud-based consortiums particularly allow institutions to work
collaboratively with other organizations and experts that could increase the
availability of resources and speed of research activities. To give an example, the
Open Cloud Consortium (OCC) (http://opencloudconsortium.org/) is “an open
cloud computing infrastructure that facilitates community based science, in which
researchers from member institutions, including the University of Chicago and
Johns Hopkins University among others, can compile, analyze, and share huge
data sets via the Open Science Data Cloud” [22, p10].
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3
Vol. 12, No. 6, 2015
Connectivism
From an educational perspective, cloud-computing technology is commonly
considered and practiced within the concept of virtual or online learning. CC is
widely accepted to be suitable for online learning environment with its capabilities
in facilitating information managing, data sharing, and collaborating, and so on.
Considering today’s students who are under the influence of Internet (those called
Net Generation) and digital media and technologies (those called Digital Natives)
have got unique habits, actions, learning styles, preferences, communication
patterns within the ecology of networked content and communities. These students
possess the skills of self-directing their learning progress, obtaining information
from a variety of online resources, doing multitask quickly - sometimes
simultaneously, and working in teams.
Therefore, along with the advancements in network technologies, educators have
started to employ many different educational philosophies, strategies, and
approaches for emerging needs and demands of students in the online milieu. Yet,
there was a need to develop new pedagogical approaches, which take into
consideration and explain new learning experiences specifically in a networked
learning setting. The connectivism, introduced and advocated by George Siemens
and Stephen Downes, was called “A Learning Theory for the Digital Age” [9].
George Siemens [9] defines connectivism as
…the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and
complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process
that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements
– not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning (defined
as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an
organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized
information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more
are more important than our current state of knowing.
George Siemens [11] explores some of the main categories and aspects of learning
that are experienced today. According to Siemens, learning can be categorized as
formal or structured learning; experience, games and simulation learning;
mentoring and apprenticing; performance support; self-learning; communities of
practice or learning communities; and informal learning. These seven learning
categories are all interconnected with each other, which are driven by dimensions
of learning (e.g., learning what, why, where), learning concepts (data, knowledge,
meaning, understanding), conduits (e.g., language, media, technology), and filters
for learning (e.g., values, beliefs, perspective). Change and transformation in
knowledge with learner’s intention to learn takes place in connected network of
learning domains (see Figure 2).
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The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
Figure 2
Learning Network
Connectivism is, simply, a learning theory grounded in the interactions within
networks [34]. Stephen Downes [32] described it as, “… the thesis that knowledge
is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists
of the ability to construct and traverse those networks.” Siemens [9] identifies the
fundamental principles of connectivism:
•
Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions
•
Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
sources
•
Learning may reside in non-human appliances
•
Learning is more critical than knowing
•
Maintaining and nurturing connections is needed to facilitate continual
learning
•
Perceiving connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a core skill
•
Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of learning
activities
•
Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and
the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a
shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong
tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the
decision.
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Downes [33] states that according to the connectivism: i) learning occurs as a
distributed process in a network, based on recognizing and interpreting patterns;
ii) the learning process is influenced by the diversity of the network, strength of
the ties; iii) memory consists of adaptive patterns of connectivity representative of
current state; iv) transfer occurs through a process of connecting; and v) best for
complex learning, learning in rapidly changing domains. Knowledge is viewed in
connectivism as a pattern of connectedness [13] (see Figure 3). Connectivism
claims “knowledge - and therefore the learning of knowledge - is distributive that
is not located in any given place (and therefore not 'transferred' or 'transacted' per
se). It rather consists of the network of connections formed from experience and
interactions with a knowing community” [31].
Figure 3
Knowledge in connectivism theory
Siemens [12] emphasized that, “Exponentially developing knowledge and
complexification of society requires nonlinear models of learning (process) and
knowing (state).” In brief, connectivism is described as, “the amplification of
learning, knowledge, and understanding through the extension of a personal
network” [8].
In a networked, technology-enriched arena, new instructional models and
practices based on connectivism learning theory attracted a great interest of
educators as well as researchers for promoting students’ problem-solving skills
[35], motivation in learning [7], and information literacy self-efficacy in a cloudbased virtual classroom [19]. The MOOC (which stands for massively open online
courses), perhaps, best represents learning and teaching practices based on the
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The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
concept of connectivism. The essence of the MOOC concept is that thousands or
millions of participants from all over the world at any time could take a course in a
networked environment (e.g., web course). One of the unique features of MOOCs
is that a course (open and free of charge) is designed and/or contributed by a
variety of experts, educators, and instructors supporting an expansive and a
diverse set of contents for which the materials are not necessarily designed to go
together, but become associated with each other [20]. MOOCs are one of the most
prominent trends in online education since they support active and participative
involvement within a learning community, where the contributions are shared and
educational resources are distributed through an online platform to high volume
learners. Cloud-based services (e.g., WikiSpaces, YouTube, and Google
Hangouts, etc.) and the three major tools - Coursera, edX, and Udacity - are
predominantly being used for offering MOOCs, for instance, to create discussion
forums, share videos, assess learner performances and engage in all other learning
and teaching activities in online ecosystem.
4
4.1
Internet of Things (IoT)
Definition and Scope of the IoT
The notion of connectivism, as stated above, supports the idea of learning that
rests in the network of connected and relational patterns of actions and
information. Over recent past years, the concept of connectedness has gained a
growing interest in its place not only between human and human; or human and
objects but also between/amongst objects ‒ omnipresent connection of “objects”
that intelligently connect and communicate internally or with others ‒ with the
ability of embedded smart devices, sensors, and networks. The term, Internet of
Things (IoT) has been introduced to provide a better explanation about a network
of connected objects that turn the information into actions in the physical world
(e.g., mobile phones, smart houses, smart sensors, and Internet-enabled
appliances, etc.).
Embedded chips, sensors, or tiny processors attached to an object
allow helpful information about the object, such as cost, age,
temperature, color, pressure, or humidity to be transmitted over the
Internet. This simple connection allows remote management, status
monitoring, tracking, and alerts… Many web tools allow objects to
be annotated with descriptions, photographs, and connections to
other objects, and other contextual information; the Internet of
Things makes access to these data as easy as it is to use the web
[21, p. 42].
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The Internet of Things (IoT), also called the Internet of Everything, is considered
the next evolution of Internet (see Figure 4); a new technology paradigm; and a
next step in Information Industry. The evolution of Internet begins with a limited
network (e.g., two-three computers connected), then moves towards to World
Wide Web, then mobile devices with Internet connection appears, then social
networks including people’s identities and various information takes place, and
finally the Internet of Things connecting every day objects to the Internet comes
into our life [4].
IoT is an interdisciplinary field of which many alternative definitions have been
introduced. The Internet of Things is defined as
A global network infrastructure, linking physical and virtual objects
through the exploitation of data capture and communication
capabilities. This infrastructure includes existing and evolving Internet
and network developments. It will offer specific object-identification,
sensor and connection capability as the basis for the development of
independent cooperative services and applications. These will be
characterised by a high degree of autonomous data capture, event
transfer, network connectivity and interoperability [5, p10].
According to this definition, three categories of hardware technology are
suggested, to realize IoT: i:) identification and data capture technologies forming
the physical interface layer, ii) fixed, mobile, wireless and wired communication
technologies, with associated interface support, for data and voice
communications, and iii) network technologies (in combination with
communication technologies) to facilitate grouping of supported Objects for
application and service purposes [5, p16]. In addition to this, software,
middleware components and associated protocols are necessary for linking objects
and driving the hardware and service to establish a fully operational system or
systems [5].
Another definition by Vermesan and Friess [26, pp7, 8] states that “Internet of
Things (IoT) is a concept and a paradigm that considers pervasive presence in the
environment of a variety of things/objects that through wireless and wired
connections and unique addressing schemes are able to interact with each other
and cooperate with other things/objects to create new applications/services and
reach common goals.’’
Antoine de Saint-Exupery [2, p8] provides a definition, which covers a wideranging vision of IoT as “The Internet of Things allows people and things to be
connected Anytime, Anyplace, with Anything and Anyone, ideally using Any
Path/Network and Any Service. This implies addressing elements such as
Convergence, Content, Collections (Repositories), Computing, Communication,
and Connectivity in the context where there is seamless interconnection between
people and things and/or between things and things so the A and C elements are
present and addressed.”
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4.2
The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
Impact of Internet of Things
Internet of Things has been acknowledged as one of the emerging technologies in
Information Technology. Through various enabling technologies such as
nanoelectronics, sensors/actuators, cloud computing, IoT includes systems which
bridge the gap between cyberspace and the physical world of real things [27]. As
illustrated in Figure 5 below, IoT becomes a system consisting of different
systems.
Figure 4
The relations of systems within IoT
With increasing levels of connectivity through IoT, smart life including smart
cities, smart business, smart houses and so others will take place in our daily lives.
It is predicted that there will be a connected society with 50 billion connected
smart devices and approximately 7 connected devices per person around the world
by 2020 [6]. This, therefore, shows us that new IoT products and services will
grow exponentially in the following years. Due to this fact, major developed
countries in the world consider and make investments on the IoT as an area of
innovation and growth.
European Union is one of those where the number of IoT connections will
increase from approximately 1.8 billion in 2013 (the base year) to almost 6 billion
in 2020 [29]. Hence, according to the analysts, IoT revenues in the EU will be
expected to increase from more than €307 billion in 2013 to more than €1,181
billion in 2020 [29]. Based on the research and predictive studies, in order to
create a dynamic European IoT ecosystem, The Alliance for Internet of Things
Innovation (AIOTI) (www.aioti.eu) was launched in 2015 by the European
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Commission. The AIOTI's goals are to provide and support interaction for future
IoT research as well as innovation and standardization of policies among IoT
stakeholders.
Within the market of the EU, the IoT is developing rapidly, generating multiple
new services, and moving towards a more user-oriented perspective combining
with Cloud Computing and Big Data. Aguzzi, et al. [29] provides a
recommendation for EU’s H2020 Program about prioritizing and increasing the
investment(s) in the IoT and Cloud Computing combination for the development
of technologies, research and innovation areas to take-up actions and accelerate
the market and relevant ecosystem development.
Actually, there is a broad-spectrum expectation in many sectors in the world that
new opportunities will get into our life from the combination of IoT and Cloud
computing. Cloud computing is anticipated to be a vital part of the IoT.
Applications of IoT will be almost anywhere producing an enormous amount of
data, which have to be stored, accessed, processed, and transferred. Intelligent
objects with sensors (of which processors become smaller, cheaper and more
powerful), a truly revolutionary potential of IoT, will need a platform which can
handle the speed and flow of the data accessible anywhere from any device. This
is where cloud-computing platforms play their role of being an area of immense
data storage and analytics. In addition, the interdependency of IoT and CC
provides an effective opportunity especially for IoT developers who can use the
Cloud as a development environment for IoT applications primarily by connecting
devices through the Cloud [18]. According to IEEE [16],
The combination of cloud computing and IoT can enable
ubiquitous sensing services and powerful processing of sensing
data streams beyond the capability of individual “things”, thus
stimulating innovations in both fields. For example, cloud
platforms allow the sensing data to be stored and used intelligently
for smart monitoring and actuation with the smart devices. Novel
data fusion algorithms, machine learning methods, and artificial
intelligence techniques can be implemented and run centralized or
distributed on the cloud to achieve automated decision-making.
4.3
IoT in Education
Internet-enabled appliances are coming into focus and utilization, more and more,
every single day in the consumer industry. Finally, like many other emerging
technologies transferred from industry sector and integrated into the world of
education, IoT will find a place in various learning environments. It is forecasted
that the IoT market in education and health will increase from € 22 060 in 2014 to
€ 66 925 in 2020 (€ Million) in the European Union context [29]. Thus, it is
strongly recommended to collaborate education and training actors in the field to
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The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
develop appropriate curricula and main skills for adoption and integration of IoT
into pedagogical situations [29].
Although concrete implementations of IoT, today, are difficult to find, its
potentials in fostering learning attract educational institutions and educators. For
instance, collaboration and engagement between teachers and students; and
sharing and accessing digital content are easily encouraged and facilitated with the
structure and features of IoT. “For instruction, IoT in higher education takes the
form of blended learning models that integrate personalized materials and
formative assessment technologies that deliver instant feedback. In this landscape,
students will have the ability to monitor their own environment and collect realtime data for further study” [22, p47].
With the increase in connection speed to Internet, and reduction in equipment and
software costs, IoT could offer better learning resources widely accessible, and
real-time learning experiences that are immersive and interactive than many
existing lectures and classes do so. For instance,
Archaeologists from the University of Bristol are embedding
historical objects from the transatlantic slave trade for “Reflector,”
a project that aims to share stories through authentic pieces of
history that would otherwise not be available to the masses. Every
artifact has a story and presents an opportunity for learning about
history and culture, and the Internet of Things is making it easier
— and more automatic — to communicate them” [21, p43].
An empirical research study by Uzelac, et al. [3] was conducted to examine the
impact of different parameters in the physical learning environment on students’
focus based on the IoT concept. The researchers claimed that this was the first
study in the literature providing insights in terms of the correlation between
lecturer’s voice features and students’ focus on the lecture. 5 different parameters,
namely, CO2 (CO2 sensor used), Temperature (Temperature sensor used), Air
pressure (Air pressure sensor used), Humidity (Humidity sensor), Noise level
(Noise level sensor on smartphone used), Lecturer’s voice (Bluetooth headset
connected to a netbook used) were measured in real classroom setting. The
findings indicated that five uncorrelated parameters had significant impact on
students’ focus. The results also suggested that this kind of study presents a
practical strategy for recognizing the students’ focus during the lecture.
Conclusions
With today's ubiquitous computing technologies, an enormous amount of
information has become available to an individual that can be stored, retrieved,
accessed, and shared with others through networks at the point of need any time
anywhere, even during mobility. Cloud computing, indeed, has entered in our life
as an innovative technology that evokes a new kind of social phenomenon at
different levels from posting a photo to Facebook or using the mobile Google
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Maps for driving directions to using software from any device and developing
apps, products and activities. In addition, cloud computing enables a new kind of
learning and teaching experiences. CC can offer a powerful platform and new
computing tools for “a new instructional paradigm that makes a shift possible
from the traditional practice of teaching as a private affair to a peer-reviewed
transparent process, and makes it known how student learning can be improved
generally, not only in one’s own classroom but even beyond it” [28, p222].
Therefore, students, today, have the opportunity of accessing the knowledge by
sharing distributed E-learning resources (OER) in cloud systems [1]. Although
there is a growing interest in cloud computing for educational use, administrators,
teachers and instructional designers must be careful to discern what truly improves
and/or facilitates the learning and teaching process and what does not, with regard
to CC. This technology creates teaching opportunities, but on the other hand,
requires new instructional techniques and strategies that are effective for and go
compatible with new networked learning activities.
Connectivism, a new learning theory proposed by Siemens (2005), can be
considered an alternative and effective theory to support the learning and teaching
through cloud computing technology. Since connectivism relies on sharing,
making connections between people and ideas, it strongly encourages teachers to
utilize CC tools. The principal pedagogical implication of connectivism is the
development of knowledge through rich connections in a networked environment
[10]. “Learning becomes the critical recognition of connections that change the
network itself, simultaneously adding new connections, potentially in the absence
of an instructor or authority” [17, p688].
The pace of change in our daily activities, in particular, communication,
collaboration, and interaction with individuals in the society and objects around us
is so rapid. The penetration of computing systems into society at every level is
changing the way we see our relations, our life style and conditions, our work
habits, and our interactions with individuals and objects. Perhaps, we are unaware
of the fact that our lifestyle has already been replaced with another. We will
experience this change even more with the adoption of Internet of Things, a recent
phenomenon, which makes objects smarter, in that, they have the ability of
sensing, actuation, communication with each other, collection of information from
vast amounts of data and creation of new knowledge in order for people to take
action(s) when needed.
This paper provides insights about emerging technology paradigms – Cloud
Computing and Internet of Things – and an emerging learning theory –
Connectivism, which promise to provide innovative and alternative solutions in
digital age. It is believed that the impact of those on many sectors will be
experienced and visible and tangible in the near future. Education is, perhaps, one
of the critical sectors among those because digital-born students are already
actively using and becoming easily familiar with these emerging technologies in
– 175 –
M. T. Sarıtaş
The Emergent Technological and Theoretical Paradigms in Education:
The Interrelations of Cloud Computing (CC), Connectivism and Internet of Things (IoT)
their social life. These are still early days, and educational institutions are at the
beginning of a transition period facing many challenges in the adoption of
technological, theoretical, and practical paradigms. It is strongly suggested that
educational institutions should develop a comprehensive strategy including
curricula, professional development of teachers, educational philosophy, data
security, legal and political issues, and transformation of resources and
infrastructure to be able to address the many unique challenges that lie ahead.
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